Guerlain – Patchouli Ardent – Patchouli is the theme of Guerlain’s latest scent to join the Les Absolus D’Orient line. This line has been up and down for me. I enjoyed Cuir Intense and Musc Noble but thought the much-hyped Santal Royal was grating and rough and a huge disappointment. I’m pleased to report Patchouli Ardent is another winner. The jammy rose in the opening is a promising sign that we are in for an exciting ride. Fig is a somewhat surprising edition and adds a welcome green, fruity, fresh contrast, balancing out the heavier floral, earthy, smoky base notes. The leather accord in the base is prominent, and it imparts a smoky effect on the composition.
The patchouli might not be as evident as some may like, as it’s carefully blended in with the rose, fig, and leather. Still, the patchouli is earthy, boozy, and medicinal and against the backdrop of rose, fig and leather is a joy to wear. As one would come to expect from this line, the sillage and longevity are impressive. Patchouli Ardent lasted ten-plus hours on my skin. Fantastic work by Thierry Wasser. A worthy addition to the line.
Guerlain – Iris Torréfié – Delphine Jelk is the composer behind the most recent scent to join the L’Art e la Matiere” collection. Another collection with which I have mixed feelings. My favourite is Rose Barbare, the Francis Kurkdjian composition, but the others are too heavy on the vanilla sweetness. But, iris being one of my favourite notes, and Guerlain one of my favourite houses, this should work out. It does. Delphine Jelk hits it out of the park.
The opening stages remind me heavily of the lipstick prominent Dior Homme line. The comparisons soon shift away from Dior Homme as the scent moves through the phases. It is much more subtle and buttery, with the milky iris combining with the roasted coffee and spiced tea to gives the scent a unique DNA. The smoky leather tempers the vanilla sweetness in the base. Despite the inclusion of coffee and tea, this is much less of a gourmand than the discontinued Iris Ganache. Iris Torréfié is one of my favourite releases of the year thus far.
Have you tried the new Guerlain’s? What did you make of them?
Note: Bottle images courtesy of Google. Samples purchased by the author.